Today's readings give us a lot to think about as we continue our preparations during this Advent season. Christmas is now less than a week away. The psalmist prays today, “Lord, be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress. O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.” We would like to be rescued from the pandemic and get back to some sort of normal, wouldn’t we? The Lord is supposed to be our rock and our refuge, but with the tension, uncertainty, and uneasiness that characterizes our days during the pandemic, this may be hard to feel. I think of how these last weeks of Advent are usually filled with a lot of festive gatherings. We were not able to have our Christmas dinner this year at St Jude. Advent is supposed to bring a message of hope and renewal, but that may seem very far from the reality of our lives.
We now turn to our Gospel today. Zechariah has an encounter with the Angel as he hears about the coming birth of his son, John the Baptist. Elizabeth rejoices. She who was barren for so many years, she who suffered and grieved over not being able to bear a child - she is now filled with joy. In his imposed silence, Zechariah ponders his situation. What do we need to ponder in our own lives? And like the barrenness that Elizabeth experienced, is there any barrenness in our life of faith that is in need of God's redemption and grace?
We are in the final days of Advent in our preparation for Jesus' birth into our world. Let us pray that our hearts be filled with joy and gladness, that we may find refuge in the Lord and hear his voice crying out to prepare a way from him to enter our lives.
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